Crafting the Golden Age: The Architectural World of Pre-Revolutionary Annapolis

Virtual Lecture

Annapolis today stands as a testament to its many layers of history, with four centuries of buildings standing side by side throughout the city. In honor of preservation month, this talk highlights Annapolis’ architectural landscape in the 1700s.

The years prior to the Revolutionary War were a time of vast economic growth and opportunity encompassing all levels of Annapolis society. The changing urban landscape reflected the dramatic rise of new buildings creating distinct areas of commercial, speculative, and private spheres. In her richly illustrated lecture, Marcia Miller explores the many connections between the built environment and those who lived, worked, and labored in pre-Revolutionary Annapolis.

Marcia Miller recently retired as the head of the Office of Research, Survey and Registration for the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), where she oversaw the documentation of Maryland’s historic and cultural resources. Throughout her thirty-five-year career at MHT, Marcia conducted numerous architectural investigations and provided critical oversight of restorations of the state’s most important architectural landmarks such as the Maryland State House, the Old Treasury Building, and the Brice house. She has served on advisory committees for landmark buildings across the state and on the Board of the Vernacular Architecture Forum.

Since completing her master’s thesis on the Chase-Lloyd House in Annapolis, Marcia has continued to research the craftsmen and builders of early Maryland. Much of her work has focused on the complex interplay of designers, craftsmen, and clients in Annapolis, and how their dwellings fit into a larger trans-Atlantic narrative. She co-edited Architecture in Annapolis with Orlando Ridout and has lectured widely on the city’s architectural legacy.